Image source, Getty Images
Airports have criticized the government’s sudden reintroduction of the 100ml limit on liquids in hand luggage last weekend.
The Airport Operators Association (AOA) said it had left airports “frustrated” and created uncertainty and confusion for passengers as the busiest time of year approached.
After installing high-tech new scanning equipment, some regional airports had abolished liquid restrictions. Large hubs had not yet switched to the new rules, but are rolling out the machines.
The transport secretary has stressed that the re-imposition of the old limits is ‘temporary’, but it is unclear how long the situation will last.
The government is demanding that all UK airports upgrade to ‘next-generation’ security.
New scanners that produce 3D images should ensure that liquids of up to two liters can be carried and that laptops can be taken in hand luggage to go through security.
Companies including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester were allowed to miss the latest deadline for their installation – June 1 this year – after various logistical challenges.
However, London City, Teesside, Newcastle, Leeds-Bradford, Aberdeen and Southend had complied on time and dropped the old rules on liquids – some as early as spring last year.
Birmingham completed the installation but was told to maintain the 100ml limit pending regulatory approval.
But on Friday, an unexpected announcement from the Department for Transport (DfT) said that from Sunday liquids, gels and pastes could only be brought through airport security in containers of 100ml or less.
At the time, the DfT said this was not in response to a specific threat, but “to enable further improvements to the new checkpoint systems”.
The BBC understands that the government department felt it had to act quickly after receiving new information about the scanners, is working with international partners and will lift the restrictions once the issue is resolved.
The sudden change caused an uproar among airport bosses, who were only informed on Friday.
‘Very limited preparation time’
Karen Dee, chief executive of trade body the Airport Operators Association, said hundreds of millions of pounds are being spent on a “massive” program of change as ordered by the government.
She said airports supported decisions on safety, but Friday’s “surprise” announcement “reached us with very little time to react”, and this “created uncertainty for passengers just as airports enter their busiest times of the year ‘.
“It has also left airport operators in a challenging position, with very limited time to prepare for the additional staff and wider resources this will require, and there is no clear idea of when this issue will be resolved.”
Airports that have fully transitioned to the new systems and trained and scheduled their staff accordingly will be the most affected and will not be able to make the most of the expensive new equipment.
It is believed the change has led to more items being rejected or confiscated as passengers have turned up expecting to be allowed to take larger containers.
Some larger airports, which were only halfway through their rollout, had used the new scanners in some areas and so also had to quickly change the way they worked.
Thirty airport bosses, along with the AOA, have today jointly written to the transport secretary, aviation minister and civil servants in response to Friday’s announcement.
Among the questions they want answered is how the decision was made, what it means for airports that are mid-rollout – with implications for staff training programs – and how long the return to the 100ml limit will take.
Ms Dee said airports were doing everything they could to mitigate the impact. She asked passengers to prepare to comply with the liquid limit until advised otherwise.
A DfT spokesperson said Friday’s announcement only affected people traveling from six regional airports where Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC) were already fully operational, which he said affected around 6% of all UK air passengers.
They added that security measures for most passengers would remain unchanged from those in place since 2006, and that travelers should continue to check security requirements at their departure airport.
The department said it had communicated quickly with airports after receiving new information.